FRIDAY 13thMARCH 2009
The Speaker, Rt Hon. Sir Peter Kenilorea took the Chair at 9.30 a.m.
Prayers.
ATTENDANCE
At prayers all were present with the exception of the Minister for Culture & Tourism, Commerce & Industries, Mines, Energy & Electrification, National Reconciliation & Peace, Fisheries & Marine Resources, Environment & Conservation, Agriculture & Livestock, and Members for West New Georgia/Vona Vona, West Guadalcanal, East Honiara, Central Makira, North Malaita, Central Honiara, West Are Are, South Vella La Vella, Temotu/Nende, Malaita Outer Island, East Malaita,
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
MOTIONS
Motion No. 14
That, notwithstanding Standing Order 21(3), in this current meeting of Parliament a non-government Member be permitted to ask more than two questions on each questions day.
Hon.SOGAVARE: Mr Speaker, before I move the motion I beg leave under Standing Order 26(2)(b) to amend the motion. Thank you,
Mr Speaker: Leave granted.
Hon. Sogavare: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The motion will be amended by removing the words “a non government” as appeared in the motion that is noticed and it should read as follows, Mr Speaker. “Notwithstanding Standing Order 21(3) in this current meeting of Parliament, Members be permitted to ask more than two questions on each question day. The reason is that not only non government members areallowed to ask questions on the floor of Parliament but backbenchers of the government are also allowed to ask questions. That is the motion, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker: Honourable Members, the Honourable Leader of Opposition has moved that notwithstanding Standing Order 21(3) in this current meeting of Parliament,Members be permitted to ask more than two questions each on each question day. I will now allow debate on this motion in order that Members are clear.
In regards to the intent of this motion, if it is passed Members will not have to seek the suspension of Standing Orders every day ad every time they propose to ask more than two questions.
Before we do that, I wish to kindly remind Members to please adhere to the rules of debate and be mindful of time so that we give an opportunity to those who may wish to contribute to the debate today. The Honourable Leader of Opposition was merely speaking to the amended motion. Any debate on the amended motion?
Hon. Fono: Mr Speaker, I thought that since the amendment is done here without giving any notice. We need to debate on the amended motion first before the actual motion is introduced.
Mr Speaker: I think the Leader also has the same idea. So the amended motion is now open for debate.
Hon. Fono: Mr Speaker, before the Leader introduces the motion, I would just like to seek legal interpretation in terms of Parliament passing such a motion without amending the actual Standing Order has some weight so that we can allow Members to ask more than two questions, as it is restricted under Standing Orders as rightly quoted here. If Parliament passes this motion I am just wondering whether or not we can allow that without even actually amending the Standing Order. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker: Yes, that is the point I was trying to explain. Standing Orders could be suspended under Standing Order 81 each day, any requirement for asking more than two questions made by any Member so that we do not recourse to every day repeating the same request. My advice was that a motion to cover this meeting only for this purpose would be in order hence the idea of the motion. The motion will only cover this particular meeting of Parliament so that rather than a Member requesting suspension of Standing Orders to ask more than one question each, I have been advised that a motion to that effect would be much better. Any further debate on the amended motion please? If not then I will ask the Honorable Leader of Opposition to proceed with the motion as amended.
Hon. Sogavare: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I guess silence means that the amended motion is accepted and also the intention of the motion.
Sir, I beg to move that notwithstanding Standing Orders 21(3) in this current meeting of Parliament, Members be permitted to ask more than two questions each on each question day. Mr Speaker, the intention of the motion is quite clear and the words used to frame it and therefore, I do not need to waste Parliament’s time to explain what it literally means in plain English.
Sir, the present provision in the Standing Order, I guess was written for big and dormant opposition and any independent groups, who I guess are only interested in playing politics and may be disestablishing the government instead of making the government accountable to the people for their actions.
Mr Speaker, it is not envisaging the present situation that despite of being deprived of numbers, we have a very vibrant opposition and independent group that is mature, responsible and wants to see the government delivers on its promises to the people instead of being bogged down in petty politics, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, all that this motion is saying is if the government believes that being transparent, responsible and accountable are important for the effective management of the affairs of government, let us have more of it, let us have more of it. That is basically what this motion is trying to ask. I think it would be fair to say as intimated earlier that for the first time in the history of this Parliament we have the opposition and independent groups that are interested in getting the government to perform, and rightly sobecause governments are formed in the name of the people making big political statements. This is not only by this government but every government that their policy documents and their budgets are to deliver services and therefore it is logical that they are held accountable to their commitments. The CNURA Government is not different.
Mr Speaker, I would like to emphasize the point I made earlier that this motion strikes directly at the heart of open, transparent and accountable governance. These are important principles of good governance, which the present CNURA Government openly and rightly advocates. And probably I need to emphasize this point that it is not as a matter of choice but by obligation. I think I need to explain what I mean by this, Mr Speaker.
There is a vast, vast difference between governing parties and the Solomon Islands Government, Mr Speaker. There are big, big differences between these two entities. As a matter of fact this legal entity called the Solomon Islands Government is a permanent people’s institution separate from governing parties. They came into existence at independence andare established by the national constitution of this country and have existed ever since. Governing parties are the political groupings that won the tender, as it is were to take custody of the people’s institution called the Solomon Islands Government. Sir, their duty is to manage the affairs of the government in the best interest of the people who are the real owners of the system. Political parties, political governments come and go after every four years, Mr Speaker.
There is also another way of looking at this phrase, “government of the people by the people and for the people”Mr Speaker. That phrase is effectively saying that the people are effectively ‘the government’. We are their representatives in this parliament to take care of the government system for them. That applies irrespective of which side of the imaginary line of government/opposition we are in. We are here to act responsibly on their behalf. This is where the principle of stewardship comes in, and the principle of stewardship and the relationship it establishes is a solemn matter, a very, very solemn matter. It carries a huge responsibility of care, simply because we are not here to advance our own narrow personal interests. Not at all. We are here to advance the interest of the people we collectively represent. That understanding must guide the way we conduct ourselves in this Parliament and in government. The decisions we make must always have the interest of the people at heart. The overseas trip we take, the policies we approve,the budgets we formulate, the projects we approve for implementation, the votes we cast, the statements we deliver, the requests we made for the release of funds, the letters we write, the decisions we make as to which side of the imaginary line we should be on should all be made in the best interest of our people, Mr Speaker.
I think it is the misunderstanding, Mr Speaker, of this important principle that sometimes makes governing parties act as if they own the system, and so we become very defensive in the way we manage the affairs of the people whenever our actions are called into question.
I think it is also the misunderstanding of this fundamental principle of governing parties/government relationship that makes Members of Parliament believe that being in parliament is only about benefiting from allowances, projects and taking trips and thingslike that. This is a disease, Mr Speaker, that is plaguing this Parliament and its Members since we become a nation. We need to graduate from this if this country must move forward.
Because ruling governmentsare responsible custodian of the people’s institution they have a duty and obligation to be transparent, accountable and responsible about the way they manage the affairs of the government and effectively the affairs of our people in Solomon Islands. To put it plainly, Mr Speaker, the present CNURA Government is the legal custodian of the government system right now. It does this by structuring the government into portfolios that reflect its priorities and assigning portfolio responsibility to its members to manage them on behalf of the people of this country.
This motion, Mr Speaker, seeks to increase the level of accountability required of Ministers who are assigned theseportfolio responsibilities; nothing more nothing less.
Our questions, Mr Speaker, have been structured around what the government says it will deliver. That is what it is and you cannot be any fairer than that.
Political statements carried in the various documents of the government policy were made on behalf of the people, and it is just fair that the people know how the government is delivering on its policy intentions, Mr. Speaker.
This is all this motion is asking, Mr. Speaker, and without taking Parliament’s time I beg to move that notwithstanding Standing Order 21(3) in this current meeting of parliament, Members be permitted to ask more than two questions each on each question day. I beg to move, Mr. Speaker.
Mr Speaker: The motion is open for debate. I had already explained why it came in a form of a motion than merely suspending Standing Orders under Standing Order 81.
Mr. Waipora: Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the motion. Although I have been interrupted by the government side that I should not speak but that is what I am here for. I have been mandated and elected by the West Makira people to talk on their behalf.
Mr. Speaker, I stand up to support my boss with his very important motion. It is of very great concern to us that we should ask more questions to the government but we have been limited by the Standing Order. That is why the Leader of Opposition has moved this motion today, and I am pleased that he moved the motion. Mr. Speaker, that is the first concern.
The second concern is the answering of questions. Mr. Speaker, we have been told that since this responsible opposition took over the opposition backbench people have learnt a lot because of our questions. But the main concern is that some of our questions have not been properly explained by Ministers. That is the problem at the moment.
Since the CNURA Government came into power, Mr. Speaker, I did not believe most of their answers. Mr. Speaker, they cannot blind me. I am telling the truth that some of the questionsanswered by Ministers in this Parliament were already known by me before I asked the question, and so they cannot blind me. I have been to your Ministries, all your Ministries and I never found any Ministers in their offices.
Hon. Wale: Point of order. I think it is a bit too much of an exaggeration and generalization. I am always in my office and the Member for West Makira, the so called Hon. Deputy Leader of Opposition is most welcome to come and meet me in my office. I do not take lightly the accusation that I am never in my office as the Minister of the Crown. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Waipora: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, whatever the Minister of Education has said but I stood by my word.
Mr. Speaker, people want to hear good things out of parliament as this is their parliament. Whatever the Opposition might be saying must be true. Whateverthe government might be saying is true because this is the people’s parliament and that we must work together. Some of you when we ask questionsto youare just taking it as a joke. When some of you answered questions put to you, you are just making fun. It is not funny, Mr. Speaker, but we must be serious. We must be serious in whatever we do in this Parliament. I am free to say anything in here.
You were saying that you are united, but what is the split. Stop cheating because we are here to govern the lives of our people. We have been playing around too much and we were out and now you are thinking of removing the current Prime Minister. You are lucky that you have a good Prime Minister. If I were the Prime Minister I would have sacked all of the Ministers.
(laughter)
If you want to play politics on me I will play politics on you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, what we are talking about this time is very important. When we ask questions to you, you must give straightforward answers so that our people can hear what you say to the good questions. And you Ministers too, you must be true in your answers. This way of turning to your Permanent Secretaries whenever questions are asked to you is not good. Why are you asking the Permanent Secretaries? Are they the political decision maker? It is a shame, Mr. Speaker, because you should know your portfolios and subjects very well so that you are not seen by the One News bending over like this.
What I am emphasizing, Mr. Speaker, is thateveryone of us must be true to each other so that the governance of this country is right. That is why we go ahead and then we split and the next round weare together and then we split again. We cannot play around like this, Mr. Speaker.
I spent my life with the Solomon Islands Government for 43 years now and that is why I am very concern. Whether you laugh at me or what but I am telling you a very deep concern in my life that we must govern this country properly. We must work together. You, the Ministers must make sure that you are serious with your work and do things that are upon your shoulders. I am serious.
Mr. Speaker, I can go on but I might take up others time, and so I will be very brief and to emphasize the point that directly hits my heart, and I am very concern oflives. You go down to the hospital, you go down to education, you go down to places like that,I amsad and yet we playing around up here.
Mr. Speaker, with those few comments I fully support the motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition. Thank you.
Hon. SIKUA: Mr. Speaker, I stand to contribute to the motion moved by the Leader of Opposition and Member for East Choiseulto explain why the government side will not be in favor of this motion.
Mr Speaker, let me take you back to December last year when I moved a motion for parliament to meet this time. At that time of moving the motion I asked that we come back to meet commencing the 5th March 2009, this month because we have a lot of unfinished business that we were not able to dispense with during the December Meeting. This concerns bills that the government would like to bring to Parliament.
I do appreciate, Mr Speaker, that since we started our meeting on the 5th March we have on the main being just a meeting for half a day, which can be explained and understood that it is because of the fact that the bills the government would want to deal with in this meeting have just been put to your office, Mr Speaker, at just the same time and so there was not enough time for the Bills and Legislation Committee to deliberate and give its report on the bills.
Mr Speaker, we are talking about 10 bills and apolicy whitepaper the government would want to bring to parliament. Already we know that the National Transport Fund Bill is here with the Companies Bill, the Companies Insolvency and Receivership Bill, the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill, the Interpretation and General Provisions (Validation and Indemnity) Bill, the Fisheries Amendment Bill, the Constitution Amendment Bill, which is still serving out its notice period, the Valuer’s Bill, the Solomon Islands Maritime Safety Administration Bill, which Cabinet has just approved yesterday, and the last one is the Traffic Act Amendment Bill,and as I mentioned the government would like to bring in the Political Party Integrity Bill Policy White Paper for us to debate in Parliament as a measure for further consultation.